http://www.finewoodworking.comI
n Europe, 80% of mattresses are designed to be used without a box spring and
to be supported by wooden slats. I find the slatted support a little firmer, but
the choice is up to you.
I use 3/4-in.-thick by 4-in.-wide slats, which are thicker and wider than commer-
cially available ones. Spaced 1 in. apart, the slats provide some flex for comfort
and also allow air to circulate around the mattress or futon. Soft maple or poplar
makes good slats, but avoid softwoods,
which are too flexible.
The slats usually rest on wooden
cleats. To keep the slats from shifting, I
notch the ends, fitting each slat over a
dowel that protrudes from the cleat. On
a king-size bed, I add a strut down the
center from headboard to footboard,
with a leg in the middle.
Some mattresses are designed to
be used with solid platforms, made of
plywood with support underneath to
prevent sagging. However, because
these platforms do not have built-in
flexibility or give, they should not be
used with regular mattresses.A
bout 80% of the mattresses
sold in the United States come
with a box spring. Full- and queen-
size box springs need support around
the edges in the form of wooden
cleats, angle iron, cast-iron hangers,
or aluminum extrusions. All of these
supports are screwed to (and some-
times recessed into) the side rails.
King-size box springs come in two
halves for portability and need an
additional support down the center
of the bed that’s wide enough to sup-
port both halves, with a leg in the
middle of this support.
The side rails are typically 5 in. to
8 in. wide and 1 in. to 13/4 in. thick.
The combined width and thickness
should be enough to prevent the rail
from sagging under load. I usually use 6-in.- or 7-in.-wide rails with a box spring;
but to hide the box spring completely, the rails must be close to 8 in. wide. This
choice is strictly a design decision.s u p p o r t t h e m a t t r e s s
bOx Sp rIn gS nE Ed Ed gES Up pOrT OnLYF Or AL Ow p rO F I L E, US ES L AT SInS T E Ad O FA bOx Sp rIn gSide railMattressBox springs need support
only around the edges.Box
springMattressSide railWooden
cleatSlatWooden cleats
An economical
choice, wooden
cleats are glued
and screwed to
the rails.angle iron
Angle iron can
be purchased or
recycled from old
bed frames. Run
a rabbet in each
rail, then screw
the angle iron in
place.cast-iron
hangers
Because of their
length, cast-iron
hangers support
a greater range of
box-spring widths.
They can be
mounted slightly
below the rail to
lower the mattress
height.Wooden slats
Slats combine the right amount of support
and give for a mattress. To prevent the
slats from shifting, notch them to fit
around dowels fixed to the cleats.b u i l d i n g f u r n i t u r e 2 0 0 7 51FWSIP08BF_AB.indd 51 6/6/07 11:21:05 AM